The Summer 2022 season of anime was one emotional rollercoaster from start to end, and we had some truly great moments, but absolutely nothing beat the perfection that was "Call of the Night" by LIDENFILMS. This slice of life meets comedy meets romance was a true masterpiece, about a tightly woven love story between our protagonist, Kou Yamori (a human) and Nazuna Nanakusa (a vampire) and it tells the story of vampirism in a whole new perspective - through love, as the only way to become a vampire in this amazing adaptation of "Yofukashi no Uta" by Kotoyama, is by the human falling in love with the vampire. Once this crucial step is met, the next time the vampire partakes in that humans blood, they will become their offspring.
Now of course, it would be too easy for Kou to become a vampire and fall in love in the first season of this amazing anime (And apparently the whole manga too) as he is only a 14 year old boy, who has no experience of that emotion. What call of the night excells at though is highlighting adolescent rebellion, as it showcases how a young boy top of his class, now ditches school totally, all to experience the joys and freedom of the night, and Nazuna as well as the other great cast of humans and vampires help him to do so. and there are certainly some amazing characters in this anime.
What this anime really showcases however, is how Kou is stuck between two worlds, how he starts to see other vampires arent like Nazuna and their true nature, as well as the true nature of humans through seeing drunken people, to vampire hunters. Kou is a 14 year old experiencing an identity mid life crisis, and Call of the Night is a master of showing this at every turn. What truly amazes me is they havent even scratched the surface of the manga in this first season, the stronger supporting material deeper within the manga that really highlights the tear between two worlds that Kou is experiencing, likely wont be shown to us until season 2, maybe even season 3 if it gets green lit. Thats how well LIDENFILMS produced the imagery and feel throughout the show, and it is honestly amazing.
But dont fear! If you arent into romance, or slice of life, then the comedy, comraderie and action the brilliant cast of voice actors bring to life is a sure sell for you, coupled with the amazing production by LIDENFILMS and the artwork, there is never a dull moment. From full on vampire vs vampire action, to vampire hunters exorcising vampires - call of the night has all your action needs. It also presents pleanty of comedic elements for everyone to have a laugh about, and constantly delivers with its one liners. The anime is like a moving painting and It doesn't have a dull moment especially when Nazuna is around, teasing Kou and producing hillarious facial reactions. No to mention all of the fun interactions between characters (Seri is especially a hillarious and well designed character and my personal favourite!) . It is so visually beautiful that you can screenshot any scene and use it as a wallpaper
Call of the Night gives off a smooth, chill and mesmerizing vibe from start to finish, especially with how the city lights up at night with its Neon-Purple colour scheme, and the music (OP: 堕天 By Creepy Nuts, ED: Yofukashi no Uta By Creepy Nuts) couples this perfectly, even without understanding japanese you can feel how well they fit, and when you read the lyrics it makes even more sense! . It really makes you want to get up and walk around in the middle of the night.
Call of the Night absolutely deserves all the praise and calls for a season 2, it smashed every other summer anime out of the park, that being said, it had some tough competition! It was up against giants like Lycoris Recoil, Black Summoner, Engage Kiss and more!
You can watch the trailer for it below, the anime is available on Disney+ and HIDIVE. You can also read the manga through VIZ media too! 10/10 and highly recommended.
